


For What it's Worth

by Elillierose



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Accident, Angst, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Prompto Spoliers, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, One-Shot, Whump, Wounds, wreck - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-24
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2019-02-06 09:35:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12814713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elillierose/pseuds/Elillierose
Summary: When Prompto is forced to flee the facility, emotions are running high, causing mistakes to be made. When his stressed mind results in an accident, he has no choice but to rely on another to get him through it.Warning: Contains Episode Prompto spoilers.





	For What it's Worth

**Author's Note:**

> Beta read by: [Sinikka_von_Wolperting](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Sinikka_von_Wolperting/pseuds/Sinikka_von_Wolperting)
> 
> So, I recently did a poll on my [Tumblr](http://elillierose.tumblr.com/) about what story people wanted more, one about a snowmobile accident, or the chocobo accident. The votes were pretty split with this one having won by one. And, I recently hit 200 followers, so as a thank you, I've decided to go and do both since they both seemed equally wanted. C:
> 
> Plus, I would have felt bad doing this one alone when just as many wanted the other one. ;w;

"Vital functions decreasing," the droning, artificial voice informed from all around, the feminine tone coming off as taunting in his ears. "Plasmodium activity index increasing. Daemonification complete," 'she' continued, Promtpo slowly lifting his gaze from the floor to gaze upon the whirring mechanism before him. "Initiating transfer to Unit XDA-1002: Immortalis." His breaths slowed as the surface beneath him trembled, his vision veiling over with a red hue. He glanced around, debris crumbling from above, striking all around.

Then, off to his right, something crashed through the ceiling, causing a startled jolt to jar him and snap him out of his momentary reverie. Though, he still lacked the motivation to lift himself off the floor. What was the point? Ardyn was right...he had nothing left, he had no one. Prompto barely registered what was going on, until, "You always play hard to get like this?"

A small gasp at the familiar voice, and his attention snapped to the figure strolling towards him, an edge of confidence in each of her steps. "Aranea…" he uttered, unsure if he were seeing things right or if he was somehow projecting all of this in his head.

"Save it Blondie, on your feet," she demanded, hands on her hips as she set him with a 'no questions' kind of stare. "I don't know what's got you so shook," she started again, striding closer to him when he hadn't moved an inch, "but you can deal it it later. Let's move." Without a word, the gunner dropped his gaze to the floor, his body still numb and heavy. What did it matter?

Without a warning, the front of his jacket was snatched into a strong fist, urging him to finally give her his undivided attention. "I'm only gonna say this once:" she spoke down to him, intense glare gripping his own, "Lose your will to live, and you lose all hope of me helping your sorry ass. Got it?" she asked, yanking him up to his feet harshly, disregarding all gentleness.

Still, the blond couldn't find his voice, couldn't reach the will to do so. But, he stayed on his feet, and he guessed that was enough for her when she released her hold and spun on her heel. So, either with or without him, she was ready to get going, guess he had no choice then.

"Right," he mumbled to himself, taking a deep breath before exhaling shakily and blinking a few times to call his senses back to him.

"Target detected. Capture and retrieve immediately," the AI commanded, alerting the once asleep MTs to his presence. They creaked and groaned to life, all three of them automatically snapping their focus over to him. "Commence capture and retrieval of compromised unit," it went on, triggering the bunch to react, drawing their weapons in programmed unison.

Aranea was already past them, wasting no time in beginning their escape. "Move it!" she called back, not taking a moment to wait on him. Swallowing thickly, he nodded in her direction, despite the fact that her back was to him. With a nervous chew on his bottom lip, he went for it, giving none of them the light of day, there was no time to spare on the likes of them. So he ran, ignoring the cries and babblings of grotesque creatures as the emerged around them, clawed hands reaching for him and brushing over his clothes and arms. He continued to bolt, constantly aware of the woman now helping clear a path just a few feet ahead, having no issues on her end.

Swiftly, with the grace he would have expected from Ignis, she cleared a few more standing in their way, cutting through them like butter. "They're down!" she called over her shoulder. "Now's your chance!" Again, he nodded to her, a small grunt with the motion and he dipped to the left, skidding to a stop almost immediately.

"Come on," he groaned, teeth grit in both annoyance and anxiety. Towering and intimidating, the mounted artillery on this mechanical beasts shoulders shadowed his movements as he tried to veer around it. With a dive and a quick skip, he managed to narrowly dodge a few bullets while he worked his way to the other side of it. He was so close now, all he had to do was make it across to the other side of the room, and he could be out of here, away from this hell. Of course, things could never be that easy.

Even know, piercing chunks of metal rained down around him, whizzing by and hiss past his ears. A hiss escaped his lips when a stray one glanced across his left calf, leaving a searing and stinging sensation in its wake. His step faltered, a fraction of the strength on the leg leaking out through the minor wound. He couldn't stop though, not when he was so close; it was just a few yards now.

His breath ceased to flow, bottling up in his lungs when he rounded the corner, safe from the barrage for the time being, but that wouldn't last long. The metal steps as they chased after him echoed off the walls, teasing him of their chase. Now, a mere few feet away, a hand grabbed him and spun him around before a map was jammed against his chest, beckoning him to take it.

"Head there - I'll catch up later," the silver-haired woman informed, not giving him a chance to ask questions and turned back away from him.

A minute and shuddery gasp pried its way out of his mouth, heart thrumming at the sight of her walking away and back towards danger. "B-But, what about you?" he blurted, the concern in his voice not even attempting to hide itself. His oceans were wide with worry, trailing after her and drifting down the length of her lance. He had no doubt she was fully capable of handling herself, but…

"I said, I'll catch up," she snapped back.

"But, what if-"

"Just go," she interrupted, getting ready to take on a few new enemies, never risking a glance behind her.

Prompto hesitated, glancing from the map to her, torn against what he felt was right and what he knew was the smarter choice. Growling under his breath, and without putting any more thought into the ordeal, he forced himself to follow the tougher path. "Please, be careful," he silently pleaded, jumping up onto the vehicle and switched it to life.

He never once gave his attention to anything else, not when the chorus of fighting reached him, not when the grunts and cries of the ensuing battle tempted him. He made up his mind, he had to stick to it now. "Catch ya later, Aranea," he sighed, revving the engine, letting out a startled yelp when it jerked into action, nearly causing him to lose his balance, but he was swiftly, and thankfully, able to right himself.

The blond broke through the barrier of artificial and natural, blinding light, the sudden transfer forcing him to screw his eyes shut against the blaring rays. It took a few more seconds than he would have liked, but soon they adjusted, and not a moment too soon. It was just in time to swerve, avoiding running straight into a few soldiers, waiting from him, it appeared. More 'pops' as guns fired in his direction, little comets of red and orange zooming around him, but luckily not a single one found its mark.

That didn't stop his fear and worry from skyrocketing, elevating with every bullet that threatened to take him out. Out of pure desperation, he sped up, the engine roaring louder with the forceful demand. He held his breath, locking it in his chest until he was sure he was safe for the time being. Though, he knew he wasn't quite out of the woods yet, there was still a ways to go, and there was no sight of freedom.

"Shit," he swore under his breath, the tight swear being pushed out by a puff of mist and he ducked his head down, doing what he could to protect himself with more enemies coming into view. Just like the earlier ones, these were of no real issue, coming and going within a couple of seconds without a chance to do any real damage.

He relaxed a bit now that he slipped into somewhat easy sailing, rock bordering on either side, provide protection of sorts. Now, danger could only come from two directions, either from ahead, or from behind, and so far, there was nothing that stuck out before him. Oh how wrong he was in that assumption; abruptly, he was tossed to the side, the snowmobile just narrowly managing to remain upright as it lurched harshly to one side. Heated plumes of fire licked at him, radiating towards him and deafening explosions berated him from multiple angles.

"Seriously?" he ground out, the new hails of flames spiking his nerves. "Missiles?" He was forced into switching his once smooth cruising into a zig-zag path in order to lower his chances of getting blown off. He knew there was no end to them, they'd never stop. Each crash they made sent vibrations through him, increasing his heart rate and tightening his chest.

How long did this go on for? It couldn't have been too much farther, he refused to believe that, there had to be an end to this. Once more, he sped up, pushing it as fast as it could possibly go and ignoring the slight protests it gave. Then, just as soon as it started, they ceased, but his pulse stayed strong at the rate it was at, stubbornly thrumming through his body.

As he rode, his eyes widened, blood freezing and heart positively stopping. There was no slowing down, and there was nowhere else to go, he had to push forward. Prompto's hands gripped harder around the handles as he leaned forward slightly, both mentally and physically preparing himself for what was about to come. And, he prayed he'd be able to pull this off, not that he had much of a choice.

Next thing he knew, he was in the air, not a single part of anything in contact with the ground. "Don't look down, don't look down," he repeated over and over again to himself, voice hushed and slightly raspy from the biting cold. Breaths barely made it out of his throat, raking against the inside of it, trying their best to cling on. Rapidly, the ground was approaching once again, and he instinctively closed his eyes, unable to will himself to watch it come. In a split second, he was jostled, what little air was left in him being expelled from his lungs with the force of the landing.

Okay, maybe that wasn't as mad as expected, but his body was still on edge, taking its time in processing that everything was alright, that it didn't just fall to its untimely demise. There was no time to celebrate, and he groaned outwardly; was catching a break so hard? He thought that once he made it out, it would be easy, but time and time again, he was being proven wrong. Constantly, there was some sort of threat, some inkling of danger that never let him out of its sights.

More of those damn units, its rockets already craning in order to aim at him. He couldn't find a way to avoid this one, not when he was this close as it was and getting closer with every second wasted. The blond grit his teeth and bowed his head, tensing up as light was momentarily blocked as he slipped underneath it, threading the needle between its legs.

He let out a sigh of relief once it registered that he was on the other side, he made it by without so much as a scratch. At least that had gone better than expected. A small, humorless chuckle trickled from his throat, his head glancing over his shoulder. Just as he went to give the path in front of him his attention back. But it was too late, he was too preoccupied with the one to notice the others just on the other side. And, this time, there was no avoiding it. He caught sight of it the moment before it hit, the moment before his vision was filled with a brightness that spelled disaster, and his ears swarmed with the complaints and and agonized screams of the vehicle. Then there was nothing, nothing but his own pained cries and disorientation as everything faded away. The last thing he remembered was the searing cold against the side of his face.

* * *

His whole body was numbed, and what did have feeling, ached intensely. The blond groaned against the waves of pain, most of which were originating from his chest, tendrils of fire sprouting from his right side. Prompto tried opening his eyes, but his lids were heavy, refusing to budge as frost weighed on his lashes. He attempted a deep breath, the pain in his side flaring up with it, eliciting a hiss and whimper from him. "Ngh," he whined, using his left arm to push himself, working his way over to lie on his back.

As his face peeled away from the icy touch, that too burned with ferocity, a pulsing sting plaguing the left side of his face, almost reaching his eye. Without thinking, he reached up, his fingers barely brushing over the charred flesh, dragging another hiss out of him. "Dammit," he choked out, trying his best not to move his torso too much out of fear of welcoming more agony.

Despite it all, he knew he couldn't stay here, he had to get up, he had to keep moving and get out of here. He exhaled slowly and carefully, his arm pressing against his side while he struggled to sit up. Streams of hisses and groans trailed out during the process, puffs of mist jittering out in front of him. It took about a minute, but eventually he was sitting. Out of breath and slightly light-headed, but he was sitting up now; it was a start at least.

"Gotta...keep moving," he grit out, trying his damndest to work up the motivation and courage to attempt standing now. Taking as deep a breath as he could, he held it in and whimpered as he made the first movement. Eyes screwing shut from the multiple pangs and aches, he was finally on his feet, albeit more heavily leaning on the right as the graze on the other made itself known once more. Now up, he blew that breath out...tediously, taking a moment to compose himself.

Prompto took a quick glance around, scanning over the landscape, and a current of relief washed over him at finding the coast clear. Then, his attention was brought over to the direction he had to go, and he wanted to just drop back down; it was still so far to go. Allowing his hopes to raise above that of his morale, he searched out the snowmobile, instantly swearing under his breath and limped over to it. With his good leg, he gave it a quick nudge, getting nothing but a slight creak and stream of smoke in return. Hiking it was.

'One step atta time,' he thought to himself, dragging one foot through the thickening fluff, the pristine surface working against him. All it took was that one meager step to tell him just how rough this trip was going to be. And with the way his ribs were already protesting against it, he wasn't quite sure how he was going to accomplish this. Tightening his mouth into a straight line, he took a few more steps, followed by a couple more, his lungs burning after that little bit.

One more yard, and his foot caught on something, most likely a rock hidden from view, and he faltered forward, falling hard on his knees. The jolt it caused rustled his body, ripping another whimper from him. On the bright side, the landing was pretty soft considering. A bitter and dry chuckle climbed its way out of his throat, and he wasn't sure if it was a laugh or a sob, maybe a mix of both. If it weren't for the icy sensation traveling up his legs, he probably would have stayed there for quite a bit longer, but the limbs were quickly going numb and if he were to stay there for much longer, he may not be getting back up.

With a little bit more ease this time around, he was back upright, taking in short and shallow breaths and blocking out the pain as much as he could. If he didn't think about it too much, then it wasn't that bad, right? Right. Besides, he was supposed to meet up with Aranea, if nothing else, he had to make it there for her sake. Couldn't keep someone like her waiting.

"I'm on my way," he promised aloud, filling the silence what little bit he could. Then, the worries started creeping up, the what ifs. And, he couldn't help but concern himself with the idea of the possibility of something happening to her. The only thing worse than making her wait or not showing up would be to make it there himself and having her never arrive. "Please be alright."

The same images and thoughts cycling through his mind, he unknowingly fell into a somewhat decent pace. Wasn't as quickly as he would have been able to go otherwise, but it was as good as things were going to get for him. He kept this up for close to twenty minutes, all of which were spent in silence and struggled trudging. Prompto only allowed himself to slow down once he found the cover of trees, instantly finding comfort in the little cover they provided. It wasn't much, but it was enough to ease his paranoia a little.

Maybe taking a short break wouldn't be the end of the world; his body pleaded him for a rest, downright demanded for one, but this whole time, he had been denying it that luxury. He could rest when he was out of here. However, with the minor protection of the trees, he was having second thoughts about that earlier stubbornness. Without his permission, his body leaned itself against one of the welcoming trunks, anchoring itself to the spot as it ignored his urges to keep going.

Can't say he didn't long for this himself, but… He let out a stiff breath, his free arm wrapping around the rough surface to help steady himself against it. Just a few minutes, then he'd have to get going again; that was reasonable enough. Who knew when he'd get another chance to take it easy for a few. He gave in and relished in the opportunity, dropping his head to press against the bark as well. Though, he was very aware of the burn marring his face and avoided that so much as touching the tree.

He readjusted himself when his side throbbed with his current position, forcing him to lean slightly into it to ease the discomfort. The blond desperately wanted to check it out, but with as much trouble as it was giving him, he feared he already had an idea of what was wrong with it. If there weren't a couple broken ribs, then they had to have been bruised. But, he's had the latter before, and that was nothing compared to this.

Holding his breath again, he pushed himself away from his makeshift crutch, stumbling a couple inches before regaining his balance. He had to have been half-way down the hill by now, or that's what he wholeheartedly prayed for. His teeth chattered as he went, every limb shaking and each muscle tense with both pain and frigidness. "I'm coming, Aranea," he whispered, another attempt at alleviating that overbearing knowledge that he was completely alone out here.

He carried on, his speed a fraction of what it was before he had taken that moment to himself; the cold was given its chance in taking more of a hold on him. His free arm now had itself wrapped around him as well, the appendage rubbing up and down the other that still hadn't budged from its spot. Man, he was really beginning to miss being able to breathe properly.

"How do you...always get yourself in… these messes?" he asked himself, not caring the talking only made things worse, it was all he could do to keep himself sane at this point. "You can never...just have a...normal day, can...you?" his voice cracked a few times, his throat stinging with the grating of the words.

'If the others were here'… "They aren't...though," he reminded himself, shaking his head to prevent himself from diving deeper into those kinds of thoughts. 'You don't need them, and they don't… they don't need you either.' His eyes stung as he told himself this, but he was being honest with himself; it was best if he started accepting these facts for what they were. 'This is what you are, and we're all better off this wa-'

Prompto gasped, his arm finally pulling away from himself to catch himself, but he knew there was no saving it this time around. Again, he was falling, but it wasn't like the last time, he didn't hit the ground within a few seconds; he was actually and absolutely off the ground. His hands flailed, reaching for something to grab a hold of. The left shot out for whatever it could grab a hold of, but it was instantly knocked away by who knows what, something hard and rough and pain sprung from the joint.

Then, it all stopped, just like it had when he wrecked, all that chaos snatched away a second later. He had be thrown to his side...his bad side, which now screamed at him. Moving right now was definitely out of the question, he wasn't sure he could even accumulate the strength to roll over anymore. Everything hurt too damn much to do anything. Colors danced and bloomed against the black backdrop as his eyes were squeezed shut, nausea swirling in the depths of his core. He didn't know if he was going to throw up or pass out; hell, maybe both would hit at once. It didn't matter though, either of the two would probably take some of this suffering away. On second thought, retching, possibly not so much.

When the inside of his chest caught fire, he became aware of the fact that he hadn't taken in a single breath since landing, just the idea of it brought forth unspeakable torture. But, his body made the decision of when for him, involuntarily taking in something between a gasp and a choked hiss. This did nothing by anger his already furious ribs.

That was the kick he needed though, after that he started taking in his own breaths, slow and few between. 'I'm gonna die,' he repeated over and over again to himself. 'I'm gonna die, I'm really gonna die.' He pried one eye open and turned his head to the side, taking in the endless sight of bright whiteness. 'Yeah, this is it, right in the middle of this godforsaken place.' He wanted to laugh at that, wanted to, but dared not to. 'Of course,' he added bitterly.

Slowly, he squinted his eyes, staring off at something in the distance. "Wha-?" he croaked, voice barely audible as he watched the figure approach closer, heading right for him. He couldn't make out what or who it was, but they would be at him within the minutes. And still, he couldn't muster the will to do a thing. His breath hitched as they closed the distance, his vision blurring further now that they were just a few feet away.

"What….gotten…into… time…" the words faded in and out, but he recognized the tone, knew that voice. But, a second later, there were hands on him, hoisting him up, forcing him into a sitting position.

During this, he got a single glance at their face, his eyes widening and mouth falling open at the sight. "Ar...Ara...nea?" he asked, eyes immediately screwing back closed when the change in position didn't agree with him in the slightest. The blond's throat tightened, trying to keep any sounds from escaping, he still had a little bit of pride after all and he wanted to keep that intact as much as he could.

"Prompt...hey...still...me?" it was too broken to piece together, too jumbled to guess what she was trying to say, and he was unbelievably tired. All he wanted was to… "Hey!" Now that he could make out, but it wasn't long before his senses were failing him again. He knew he was being moved again though, could make out the arms slipping beneath him and the way his body was finally released from its frosty prison. The higher he was lifted, the more things fled from his grasp, leaving him until there was nothing left for the second time that day.

* * *

There was crackling, snappings and pops that pierced through the veil of unconsciousness. And that warmth, it beckoned him, tempted him to wake back up. But, it was so peaceful here, there was no pain and no worries, he just wanted to stay here forever. Against his will, a groan tore its way out of him, and slowly the real world was rearing its grotesque head, reminding him that he wasn't out of this just yet.

"You finally awake?" a female voice asked, and he didn't need to open his eyes to know just who it was. The moment that tone hit his ears, the memories came flooding back, giving him the beginnings of a headache. Whining slightly, he moved to get up, but she spoke up again. "Hey, take it easy, you're not exactly in pristine condition, you know?"

He disregarded her warning entirely and continued to work his way up, though, he didn't make it very far before falling back down, his head spinning with the failure.

"I told you, didn't I?" she rubbed it in, getting to her own feet and strolling over to sit next to him. "But, I'll give you props, you're a lot tougher than I gave you credit for," she shrugged as she offered the underhanded compliment. "And sorry, but I don't have any potions, I was going to head out to see what I could find, but figure leaving you here knocked out wasn't the best choice."

"I'll be fine," he whispered, scared to talk louder than that.

She merely hummed, completely brushing the bold statement off. "Really? Because from the looks of it, you have a few messed up ribs, and your face isn't looking too hot either.

"Feels pretty hot to me," he retorted, getting something of a pity chuckle out of her. "Really though, I-I just need to sleep it off," is what he said, but the hitch and groan the split that sentence in half told a completely different story.

"That may be, but I don't think either of us have the time for that, so you're going to have to forget about whatever it is you feel you have to prove," she brushed her hands together as she pushed herself up, walking a few feet away. It wasn't until then that he noticed the rock walls that surrounded them; they were in a cave. That explained the lack of brightness. "I'll try not to be too long, so try not to get yourself into any more trouble, alright?"

Prompto gave a weak thumbs up and that signature lopsided grin of his. It was forced and spared some of its usual charm, but the woman returned it back with a nod. "Be careful out there," he called after her, wincing from raising his voice too much.

"Look who's talking," she quipped back, giving one last wave of her hand as she stepped back out into the harsh conditions...alone.

The gunner stared off after all, all the way to the point of which he could no longer make her out. "Alone...again," he sighed, turning his head to stare into the fire instead, watching the continuous licks of the flame as embers flew off, fading after they rose so high. It was rather refreshing to be able to finally relax, but at the same time, it was putting another in potential danger. This was the second time she was sticking her neck out for him, and still it didn't sit well with him.

With a groan, this one out of frustration, he draped his arm over his eyes, his face bursting with agony. But, he left it there, not even caring that his wrist burned as well as it bent over. He didn't know how long he stayed like this for, but it had to have been hours at the very least, and still, she hadn't come back. What if something happened, what if she wasn't coming back. Anything could have happened out there, and it would have been his fault. Worry injecting itself into his heart, he pried his arm away, whimpering when the material of his sleeve clung and pulled his raw skin.

Waiting for the stings to subside, he flicked his attention to the entrance, his stomach dropping along with the light levels; it was practically night time...and she was still out there. He took deep breaths through his nose, the flaring torment momentarily forgotten. Prompto debated on whether or not he should go out for her, go searching for her and make sure nothing happened. But, what could he do in his current state, he'd do nothing but make matters worse. If she were fine, then all the effort would have been for naught.

"Please…" he uttered, propping himself up on one arm with a flinch and a whine. He now found himself watching the outside intently, barely risking a blink as if he'd miss something. His entire body was tense with anticipation, a slickness coated his hands and a chill touched him from the inside.

Then, at long last, he heard a crunch from just outside, followed by another, and a third. "H-Hello?" he called out, pulse absolutely banging inside his chest as his eyes darted around in search of the course. "Aranea? Is that you?" he asked, voice trembling.

Another step, and the definite 'clink' of metal. This had him up in an instant, breath quickening and blood freezing in his veins. He pulled out his gun, fingers tightening around it and finger tracing over the trigger. The blond took a step back, stumbling when his calf seared with the weight. Luckily the rock surface behind him caught him, keeping him on his feet. His back now pressed against stone, he took his other arm form his side to hold the weapon steady.

"S-Show yourself," he stammered, pistol wavering even with the support of both hands. As if on queue, a pair of red, piercing orbs peeked around the corner, seemingly staring straight through him...emotionless. Extermination being its one and only drive. Without a single thought, he squeezed the trigger, the gun kicking and jarring his already throbbing wrist. The eruption of flames in the limb cause the pistol to slip from his grip. But, at least he managed to hit his target before that happened.

However, it merely slowed it down for a few seconds, after it collected itself, it was back in its pursuit after him, the axe in its hands held high. Its movements were stiff and awkward, limbs twitching as it sauntered over. Metal scraped and its feet dragged before it eventually picked up speed. This thing really wasn't playing around. It charged forward, swinging down its blade in the matter of a few seconds, barely giving Prompto time to evade the attack.

He jumped to the side, the quick dodge serving to drill it in exactly how he wasn't in the right state to be fighting. And now, to make it worse, he was without a weapon, and he couldn't see himself bending or crouching in order to retrieve it. All that was out of the question, he only option was to run, and as quickly as he could. Holding his breath and wrapping his arms around himself, he ran for the exit, thankful his adrenaline was running high enough to mostly numb his suffering. Hopefully it would be enough to get him out of this though.

The ice-laced breeze hit him like a truck, stinging his face and stealing his breath away. Snow enveloped his ankles, creeping up the farther he traversed into the tundra's territory. He could have sworn Shiva was grabbing his legs at that very moment. The gunner was plucked from his internal grievances when the clatters grew closer, picking up speed. Good for them, apparently they could travel through this terrain better than himself. Of course, the injuries weren't doing him any favors.

"Don't you have something better to do?" he groaned, swiftly losing what little energy he had left. He was sure he had covered enough ground, but a quick glance around him slapped him in the face with how wrong he was. The glint struck him the second before the draft did, giving him barely a second to dodge it.

Prompto hopped to the side, again much to his body's dismay. "Just leave me...alone," he pleaded between breaths, his legs shaking with the excess exertion. "What the hell do you want?!" he shouted up, his limbs finally giving up and dropping him to the ground. All he could do now was scoot back, dragging himself through the inches of snow. "H-Haven't you guys already...done enough?!"

His words fell on deaf ears, the humanoid never even slowing down as it's weapon left a divot in the white blanket behind it. The head twitched to the side, jerking as it lifted the axe up, its feet planted just in front of the gunner. The latter could only watch in anticipation, fatigue sprouting up and tangling around him

He closed his eyes, preparing for the pain to come, getting himself ready for the strike and turned his head away. His breath ceased, ending itself before the blow could. This was taking forever, and it was worse that just getting it over with. "Come o-" grinding of metal on metal exploded, kisses of heat sprinkling his face before a solid 'thud' put a stop to it all.

"How many times do I have to rescue your useless ass?" His relief mixed with his embarrassment. On one hand, he was thrilled that she was alive, that he was alive. But, on the other, she was right. How many times would she have to save him? It was getting ridiculous, and he would be dead three times over by now. "Hey, snap out of it," he said sharply and crouched down next to him.

Sighing as she took in his appearance, softening at the paleness of his skin, and the constant tremor that wracked his form. "This is the best I could find," she informed, digging into her pocket and handing a greenish vial over. "It's not much, but it should be able to take the edge off.

"Thanks," he whispered, unsteadily taking the offered potion, nearly dropping it right away. "For, earlier too," he added, lowering his gaze in shame.

"Shut up and use it," the woman retorted, nodding to the potion. "It's freezing out here, and I'm sure we'd both much rather be back by the fire."

He hummed in agreement, and not wasting anymore time, he gave it a squeeze, wincing as the familiar warmth coursed through him and uncomfortably mended his multiple injuries. When it subsided, he breathed out in relief, only a slight soreness accompanying him with the action. Things still weren't back to a hundred percent, but they would do. This was, he was positive he could move on his own, which would spare the ounce of pride he still held in a death grip.

"Better?" she asked, eyebrow raised in amusement.

"Yeah," he replied, honestly, denying her offer to help him to his feet. He flatout ignored the offered hand and pushed himself up, wavering and flinching the whole way. "Let's just get back," he muttered, attention remaining downcast, walking by the other without looking in her direction.

Shaking her head, Aranea fell into step behind him, watching the stiff way he walked and the way his shoulders tilted downward. She tossed one last glimpse at the crumpled and robotic heap collecting white dust, a couple more twitches and sparks springing out until it stilled completely. "Prompto," she breathed out, low enough for him not to hear.

She followed him in, placing herself on the opposite side of the fire as him, flicking her attention over while he stared blankly into it. He still had exhaustion etched into his features, but there was clearly more bothering him. "Wanna talk about it?" she offered, seeing they'd be stuck in here for a while, or until the sun came up. He only shook his head, and if it were possible, sunk more into himself, eyes half closing. "So, you're just gonna bottle it all up, huh? Hold it all in until it drives you crazy, is that the plan?"

"Maybe," he sighed, finally meeting her with bright oceans. "I-It's complicated, and there's not much to say about it."

"About what, about what you are, where you came from?" she got right to the point, each word like a stake to the heart. "Sounds to me like there's plenty to talk about, and it's obvious it's troubling you."

Prompto stood strong, an impenetrable bottle of emotions. But, Aranea kept her gaze on him, reaching for that sliver of trust. She could see it there, the longing, the wanting to depend on someone, yet not allowing himself to. She took a deep breath and made herself more comfortable, taking her attention elsewhere. "I'm not human," the voice was low, almost ashamed, timid. "I never was...everything, all of it, it was all a lie, wasn't it?"

He brought his gaze up to her, blue orbs sheening just enough to be noticeable. The flames reflected in them, lighting the doubt behind them. "Do you really believe that? That none of your life was real?" she countered, the blond reeling back at the question. Did he?

"I, uh, I dunno," he replied honestly. "Maybe…" He took a deep breath, "At the time, yeah, I believed it was all real, all genuine, but now, it just seems like-like it was… I don't know." Prompto drew his knees up and wrapped his arms around them, his eyes dropping back down as his voice hitched at the end. And, then he hid his face, pressed it into his knees to keep it out of her sight.

"Cut the shit," she snipped, standing and rounding the fire, instantly getting his focus right back. She stood right next to him, staring down, glancing to the burn scar that now graced his face. "Do you honestly think that makes a difference? I can almost guarantee you the others are worried out of their pretty little heads over you, and here you are a sniveling mess. Tell me, how do you think they'd react if they knew that?"

He didn't respond, just gazed at her with those sad puppy-dog eyes as he chewed on his bottom lip. Well, he was thinking about it, that was a start. "I can tell you, they're not going to change the way they view you, they're too stubborn for that. If you saw how worried they were…"

"You saw them?" he blurted out, showing the most amount of enthusiasm he has yet. "Where are they, are they alright?"

"Other than concerning themselves over you, yeah, they're alright. Just as fired up as ever," she smiled slightly as she relayed the info, seeing the life rekindle in him. "Now, how about you make sure you're not doubting yourself by the time you see them again. That, I don't think they will appreciate."

Prompto inhaled deeply, lowering his legs back down and straightening up. "I know they are, that's the problem though. Sometimes I'm afraid they'll realize they're too good for me," is what he said, but the expression he wore was one of gratitude, compassionate. "I'm a long way off from deserving them, but still, they treat me like I belong. And maybe I'm paranoid, but I'm still waiting for that moment to come that I won't. If, or when, they find about all this, it might be just the push they need."

"If anything makes them change their mind about you, it would be your moping," she replied, offering a warm smile as she sat next to him. "I'm not going to act like I know anything about this, but I think you're over thinking all this. But, I promise you, you're being harder on yourself than they're going to be. From what I've seen of them, they're good people, and it's going to take a hell of a lot more than this to make them turn on you."

To tie things up, Aranea gave him a light and playful punch to the upper arm. "Try and lighten up a little, everything's going to work out, so don't let it get to you if you can help it."

"Yeah," Prompto breathed out, his spirits lifting marginally with the weight that was lifted off his shoulders. "I know you're probably right. Guess it's just in my blood to expect the worse." He sighed deeply, but cut his attention to the other, meeting her gaze.

"If there's anything else you need to get off your chest, now's the time to do it," she offered.

Slowly he shook his head. "I think that about covers it," he answered. Or, that was the worst of what was bothering him, everything else would work itself out. They would still accept him no matter what, even if they were to find out about his past. "Aranea?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks, again."

"Yeah, yeah, don't mention it. Can't have you giving up on me while we're stuck together, can I?" she brushed off, having to lighten the mood somehow. "And kid, you really should have more confidence in yourself, you're not like them, and you're not as disposable as you may think you are. Just remember that. For what it's worth, you're one hell of a friend to have."

Prompto smiled again, a genuine one this time, and he finally relaxed, his heart a few pounds lighter. For the first time, he believed that everything would be fine, it would. They were his friends, the people that knew him best, and whatever he was, that didn't define who he was now, and he was sure they'd feel the same. Come tomorrow, he was getting out of here, and getting back to Noct and the others.

**Author's Note:**

> Just as an FYI, I think I may be doing more of these polls in the future. So, follow me on [Tumblr](http://elillierose.tumblr.com/) if you wanna have a say in what comes next. :D


End file.
